media_artricles :: 2014

More TT athletes suffering for ‘Elite’ funding

Following the recent revelation by two-time Trinidad and Tobago Olympic 110 metre hurdler, Mikel Thomas, about his problems accessing funding from the Ministry of Sport’s Elite Athlete Assistance Programme (EAAP), several other national sporting representatives have come out to expose the many challenges they too face.

Over the past month, Thomas, a five-time national champion, has been evicted from his Florida apartment, forced to give up his volunteer coaching job at the University of Florida and even considers bringing an unexpected end to his profession, due to the “unavailability of funds” from the Ministry of Sport since May 2013.

However, Thomas is not alone. Speaking under the condition of anonymity yesterday, two other decorated TT athletes raised relevant questions on the EAAP as to why they also have not received funding since 2012.

One of the athletes, who presently attends school in the US, currently holds a national record but is afraid to come out publicly for fear of being blacklisted.

“This situation is crazy,” said the foreign-based TT competitor. “To me, it seems that individuals who don’t compete (internationally), receive (EAAP funding).

“Since 2012, I sent in four applications and they (Ministry of Sport) always say that they have misplaced it. I even contacted them on Tuesday and they said that I have no application inside. But I handed in my application with two other people at the same time, so how could they say that it’s not there.

“I don’t think it’s just a coincidence that they always not getting my application. It’s unfair, especially to those of us who really work hard.”

The TT athlete explained that coming from a humble home makes it even more difficult.

“I told the woman on the phone that it’s hard for me because I’m already coming from a poor home. My mom doesn’t work for much so she can’t assist as much as she would like to. Sometime I do little jobs when I can, because I attend school as well. The sad thing is that there are several other athletes going through this same situation,” the national record holder explained. Speaking to another national athlete, this time from another sporting discipline, he agreed that there are those on the elite athlete list that are undeserving but through connections are favoured.

“I know of two athletes who have never even medalled for Trinidad and Tobago and they are receiving funds from the Elite Assistance programme. I do not like to get involved in these political and problematic issues but for some of us (athletes), who actually go out there to fly the red, white and black proudly, it is definitely unfair,” he explained.

Since Thomas’ story was published on Saturday, he has been receiving strong support from fellow national sportsmen and women and the general public. He has even begun receiving a little financial help from benevolent persons but to date no one from the Ministry of Sport has contacted him.

Thomas’ plight was shared and retweeted multiple times on social networking sites, Facebook and Twitter, by track colleagues Richard “Torpedo” Thompson, Keston Bledman, Emmanuel Callender, Emmanuel Mayers, Janeil Bellille, sailor Andrew Lewis and cyclist Quincy Alexander, who have all lent

support to the 2014 Gugl Games champion.

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